Until You Were Gone
by kakite
Summary: Inuyasha makes a mistake that sends Kagome home. Through her depression, she meets someone that may complicate things. Realizing he has to redeem himself, Inuyasha shapes up.
1. Too Far

**Until You Were Gone**

Kagome sat looking out at a beautiful sunset, but she didn't see the sunset. She saw one scene. One moment was burned into her mind. That moment Inuyasha's clawed hand made contact with her face.

He had made her heart falter again. It wasn't just a normal thing this time, it was something that really hurt, what he said. The first part had just made her mad. But what he had said after, that had broken her heart. "The only reason I hang around with you, is because it's the only way I can get the jewel and then Kikyo if I get lucky."

What had possessed him to say it may have been way more complicated then Kagome might have thought, but that didn't give him the right to say it. Fighting to keep her calm façade without breaking down in front of him, her mind raced. The only thing she could think to do was insult him right back. "At least I'm not some low-life half-breed that has to have a jewel to become a demon and is probably going to go to hell even if he didn't have someone to drag him there." She threw at him. His only reaction was to slap her across the cheek. Small drops of blood flew like herons, doomed to crash.

Kagome continued to stare out at the setting sun with a void expression on her face. She didn't cry. She was empty. The shards of her heart had dissolved into her blood and all that was left was an empty void. Some people say the greatest pain doesn't bring tears, and Kagome's inner mind knew that this was what they were talking about.

'I just thought he cared a little...' She thought futilely. 'And to think my heart could choose a man like him.'

She reached up to touch her cheek where he struck her. 'Why would he do that to me? Why? He's never gone this far before.'

She didn't know what to do with her lifeless body, so she just let herself sprawl onto the ground, unmoving. The position would have been uncomfortable, had she cared.

"You were my light...... You were the world..... I didn't realize how much you were to me until you were gone." Kagome whispered into the breeze and fell into a heavy sleep.

After he slapped her, Kagome just walked off. She didn't cry, she didn't yell, she didn't say or do anything. She just turned slowly away and walked down the forest path until she reached her current location and she hadn't moved for hours. She didn't even try making it as far as the well. 'Why bother?' she had mused. 'I'm going to die at some point anyway.'

When Kagome woke up, the sky was dark and she was wet with dew. She raised herself from the ground and looked around dully. She didn't see the distant form of a hanyou watching her from a nearby tree. After sitting up, she just clutched her knees and sat there like that for what seemed like hours. On the tree, Inuyasha's mind was going crazy.

'She insulted me! I did the right thing!' He told himself. 'But I did insult her first.... How could that have hurt her so much! I suppose it was a bit harsh.....' He turned around to punch the tree in frustration but stopped with his fist inches from it and sighed.

'Damn wench! She's too sensitive!' But even up in that three watching her sit, clutching her knees, he knew that wasn't true. He knew that he had broken her this time. 'I better go apologize....' He jumped down and walked over to the still form.

"Kagome....." Inuyasha said from behind her. She did nothing to acknowledge his presence. "Kagome." He said again, and again no reaction.

"Kagome! Are you listening to me!?" he yelled and immediately regretted it. Kagome got up silently, still not giving any signs she knew he was there, and walked off. Her eyes were completely blank and her face was emotionless as she headed into the forest once again.

"Kagome, I came to tell you I'm sorry!" Inuyasha called, dashing after her. "I'm sorry for what I said, ok!"

Kagome stopped. She stood there with her back to him for a moment before turning around. She looked at him with blank eyes for a moment before speaking.

"Why?" She asked.

"Huh.... Oh, well it was pretty mean what I said...." Inuyasha scratched the back of his head thoughtfully.

"I see." Kagome said monotonously and turned to walk off once again.

"Nani? Aren't you going to forgive me now?" Inuyasha called desperately after her. She stopped again, and spoke without turning around.

"For what? For telling the truth?" Kagome said. "You did nothing wrong, except maybe not giving me the peace and quiet I deserve. Now please, go away, I don't want to see you."

He stopped dead in his tracks . Her words hurt. Dammit, why did they hurt so much!?

"Kagome, you could at least give me a chance to explain!" He yelled after her.

She kept walking so he followed her once again. "Go away! I told you I wanted some piece and quiet!" She whispered after noticing he was following her again. She looked at him again and Inuyasha almost jumped back with surprise when he saw something in her eyes he didn't expect to see there. 'Hatred.'

"Kagome...." Inuyasha's now gentle voice pleaded with her. "Kagome just give me a moment to explain."

"Why? There's nothing to explain! You spoke the truth, and one should not have to explain the truth!" Kagome spat.

"Sometimes I get..... well sometimes I don't think about my words, sometimes I just say them as a defense mechanism for myself..... ever since my mom died I have not really let anyone in my heart...."

"You seemed to let Kikyo right in." Kagome interrupted.

"Well..... that was different..... it was....." Inuyasha trailed off.

"Not only did you win this battle, Inuyasha, but you won this whole damn war. Go, go to hell with Kikyo and see if I'm there to rescue you this time. I won't be, Inuyasha, You were never there for me, and so why should I be there for you? Why should I be there for you if all you do for me is cause me pain?" Kagome spat, she tore the jewel shards off of her neck and threw them in his face. "I'm going, and if Kikyo rejects you, don't come crying to me, because I gave you your chance. Maybe if she rejects you, it'll help you learn how you made me feel. Sayonara." Kagome turned and sprinted the remaining distance to the well, jumping over the side. Inuyasha was too dumbfounded to do anything until it was too late.

"Sayonara..... Aishiteru" Inuyasha whispered into the gently blowing breeze. It was too late though, Kagome was already long gone. Inuyasha picked the large jewel piece off the ground and turned slowly away.

"Inuyasha? Daijoubu?" Sango asked worriedly as her and Miroku shared a concerned glance.

"Hai." Inuyasha's hollow voice echoed throughout the room, sending tiny waves across his untouched bowl of ramen.

"Where's Kagome?" Miroku asked carefully.

"Her world." He answered, voice monotonous and low.

"Inuyasha, something's wrong, and you need to tell us." Sango demanded.

"Yeah, we're worried about you." Shippo piped up, innocently unaware of the real situation.

Inuyasha got up and walked to the door where he spoke. "She left. Forever." Then he was out of the door and into the night before anyone could say anything.

"Nani, she's gone? This had better not be his fault! But I know it is!" Sango fumed, trying to hold back tears of sadness. "Kagome-chan....." Her tears breached the dam and came cascading down her cheeks.

Shippo was just sitting quietly, his eyes wide with shock. "Ka..... Ka..... Kagome-okachan....." He whispered. "This is Inuyasha's fault. He made Kagome leave forever. He will pay."

"Shippo-chan..... don't you think that's a little harsh?" Miroku asked.

"He stole the only person I could call a mother, he deserves the same fate as the thunder brothers!" Shippo cried.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha sat in the Goshimboku, pondering.

'She's gone.' The words hit him like ice. 'She's gone..... she had to leave for me to realize I love her. Until you were gone, Kagome, I didn't realize how much I love you. I love you more then I have ever loved anything or anyone before. Now you're gone, and it's my fault.'

"You should go get her." Miroku's voice echoed up into the branches of the Goshimboku, startling Inuyasha.

"She's the one that left, I am NOT going to get her." Inuyasha snapped.

"I believe Kagome was hoping you would come after her when she jumped into that well." Miroku supplied. "I believe she loves you very much, Inuyasha." Miroku let his words sink in for a few moments before heading back to the hunt.

Just as Miroku had guessed, Kagome wished with all of her might to see that red hakama, haori and silver hair dashing towards her. Her wish was not granted though, and as the days went by, her hope slipped away like the grains of sand in an hourglass.

Sitting in History class one day, Kagome couldn't manage to quell that deep dread. Something inside of her was so terribly anxious about something that it made her feel helpless. She was nearly failing all of her classes except math, which she was actually failing. Perhaps that was the cause of the feeling? The feeling that no matter what she did, she was a failure in life.

'Luck's just not on your side this year.' Her mother had said soothingly. Kagome didn't buy it. Luck hadn't really been on her side her whole life, but maybe it wasn't luck.

'Am I just wasting oxygen?' she thought to herself. 'Am I really not meant to exist at all?'

Her History teacher had stopped talking, so Kagome looked up to find the whole class staring at her, including the teacher. She blushed deeply and apologized to the class.

"Kagome, is everything OK?" Yuka whispered to her from behind as the teacher continued her lecture.

"Hai hai...." Kagome waved her off, trying to make herself believe that there wasn't anything wrong at the same time.

"You're looking really skinny lately, are you sure you're okay?" Ayumi whispered from the other side of her.

Kagome looked down at her wrist. Stick. Barely nothing holding her together. She was disgusted as she gazed at her body for the first time since she left the feudal era. Not only was she extremely skinny, but her clothes were wrinkled and ugly.

"We're worried about you." Ayumi fussed.

"Yo, woman, would you stop staring off into your own little world, it's disturbing me." A rude voice imposed on the conversation. Kagome looked up to a totally new face. He was a boy about her age with spiked black hair and an annoyed gleam in his eyes. He was slumped back in his chair lazily, completely ignoring the teacher.

"Gomen ne..... I didn't mean to be a burden to anyone....." Kagome trailed off.

"That's really mean you know!" Yuka exclaimed. "Just because some people aren't as perfect as you are doesn't mean you can insult them!"

"Sorry for imposing." He said sarcastically, holding his hands up in mock defense.

"It's okay Yuka." Kagome turned to the boy. "I'll try not to stare off into space anymore, I don't like making other people feel uncomfortable." She barely knew what she was saying, but she knew that he probably had more of a right to exist then she did.

"But Kagome." Yuka tried.

"Ah, shut up, you heard what the wench said." The boy readjusted himself in his chair casually.

Kagome just turned around and put her head on the desk in front of her while her friends exchanged worried glances.

"Kagome, something's wrong and we want to know." Ayumi announced in the hallway after class. "Did someone die or something?"

Did he? Did he die? Yes, that's it. No more Inuyasha.

"Yes..... to me anyway." Kagome whispered.

"Wait... so ya mean that this person isn't actually dead? Nani?" Yuka demanded and explanation.

"Nothing....." Kagome insisted. "Nothing big really."

"Kagome, That's what's wrong..... Was it that abusive boyfriend you were telling us about? The selfish one?" Ayumi guessed.

No response. Just tears. Tears that had been building up and building up ever since that moment. They all came fourth now of all times. Turning, trying to hide her red eyes and wet face from her friends to avoid being a burden, she ran off. Through the crowded hallways, past classrooms and to the front doors she dashed. She was free, free from the world as soon as she got to those doors. Out she went, flinging them open and sprinting down the front steps.

Outside there was a black electric moped sitting right outside on the street and next to it stood the guy from history. He was planning on skipping school to go off somewhere until he saw a girl dash out of the front doors. It was Kagome. It was the flake.

'Wow, I never thought she'd skip school too, maybe she's not so bad after all.' he noticed the tears in her eyes. 'Never mind, just another one of those relationship tragedies again.....' He sighed and mounted his moped. 'Oh well, this is more interesting then whatever else I coulda done.' And with that, he followed the girl- at a distance of course.

Though a tad confused as to where she was going, the boy kept on her path. It seemed she was running from something rather then running to somewhere. Eventually, she ran out of energy and stopped, drooping to the ground listlessly. Looking above her, he saw a huge tree that could have been hundred of years old. She rested at the base of it, clutching to a huge root as if it were a lifeline.

'A tree?' He mused to himself, watching 'Kagome' from behind a clump of nearby shrubs. He could hear faint whispering.

"Why Inuyasha..... Why did you hit me? Do you really hate me that much?" Was all that could be heard.

'Hit her? Whoa whoa whoa! This is more serious then I thought. An abusive relationship?!' He parked his moped quietly. 'Man, this is totally against what I normally do, but I don't like it when guys hurt their women.' He walked towards Kagome resolutely.

"Excuse me?" Kagome jumped as she heard a voice from behind her and spun around to see who it was. When it registered, she immediately attempted to dry her tears and stand up.

"Gomen ne..... What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I saw you come out of the school building crying..... so I followed you here." He said, blushing for the first time in his life.

"Oh, go back to school! I don't want to be a burden on anyone, I just wanted some time alone was all!" Kagome explained quickly.

"What happened?" He interrupted.

"What happened when?" Kagome asked innocently.

"What happened to make you cry, and who's this Inuyasha?" He questioned the weak form that was standing heavily before him.

"He- nothing..... Nothing at all." Kagome caught herself before she said anything stupid.

"Just tell me and get it over with you idiot, then I can go back to school with no hard feelings." He reminded her a lot of Inuyasha, and just because of this, she told him.

"He was..... a friend. I loved him, but he had this other girl that he was hung up on. He just needed me for something he couldn't do. He insulted me all the time, and then one day we got into this horrible fight and he told me that he'd much rather have this other girl then me, and the only reason he was staying with me is cuz he needed me for this thing he couldn't do." She paused. "And then he hit me. He'd never hit me before..... ever." Her jumbled and quick story sunk in.

"So in a way I was right in thinking it was an abusive relationship?" He said, mainly to himself.

"No no! It was all my fault I should have kept my mouth shut....." Kagome looked at her shadow on the ground below her. "Why do you want to know this anyway?"

"I just was w- I mean I was- Well you were crying and I had to see what was wrong since there wasn't anyone else around."

"Oh. Arigato." she sat down on a particularly big root of the Goshimboku they were under. "You know, this tree has been here for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. It's seen betrayal and sadness, but it's also seen great happiness."

He looked up into the green depths of the god tree in awe, as if just noticing he was standing under the leafy giant.

"What's you're name anyway, and why haven't I seen you at school before?"

"Huh? My name's Yuki..... I just came here about a week ago, so I'm pretty new." Yuki looked back down at her and thought of something. "Everyone says that you're really fragile..... that you get sick a lot. Is that true? I mean you don't look sick to me."

Quickly looking at her feet to hide her embarrassed expression, she giggled nervously. "I never get sick actually... I was just- just- gone. A lot. My grandfather made up excuses that I was sick so people wouldn't wonder..... No one is supposed to know that I don't really get sick."

'Why did you just tell him that baka!' Kagome slapped herself mentally.

"Then why were you gone so much?" Of course he'd be curious as to WHY.

"I- I can't tell you that. Gomen ne. I can tell you that I won't be gone anymore though....." She trailed off when another round of tears threatened to come fourth.

"That doesn't have anything to do with this guy does it?" Man he was perceptive... really really perceptive.

"Well.... Yeah.... Sorta."

'Why do I suddenly care about this girl? Why do I feel this need to pound this Inuyasha.' Yuki thought.

"Here, sit down." Kagome offered, motioning towards the empty space on the root next to her.

"You're the first person that I have told any of this to....." Kagome admitted sheepishly. "Thanks for listening."

"Why didn't you get mad at me in class today when I told you to stop staring off into space?" Yuki blurted, realizing that was one of the reasons he couldn't leave this girl alone. He had to know.

"Well, I figure since everyone else has more of a right to live than I do, I should try to make everyone else happy."

"But..... you have just as much a right to live as anyone else!" Yuki turned towards Kagome, watching a few silent tears splash onto the cold, hard ground.

"No. I should have died long ago." Her voice lowered to a tiny whisper. "My soul is not mine, I must return it."

'Nani?' Yuki was a bit confused, how could her soul not be hers..... and wait! He didn't believe this soul stuff anyway.

Kagome shivered. "I just want him to be happy. But as long as I'm alive, he can't be."

Yuki didn't know what he was doing, but before he could think, he was embracing Kagome. She sobbed into this jacket and he hugged her tighter. 'What's this feeling?' Yuki thought frantically.

A broken heart can heal.

A broken heart is not forever.

If that's so then what's the deal?

A broken heart still hurts.

Thanks for sticking in there for this slight edit. The previous story had a few more sentences in there that I decided didn't fit. A tweak here and a tweak there should make ya'll happy! Anyway, the next chapter could be done, I'm just not sure.

I'm hoping for some good feedback. I'm applying the things I'm learning in English (I go to a school with a nationally recognized English department... and paying the price) to my writing, so I wanna hear some stuff from the people that make this happen- YOU.

-Kakite


	2. Who's This?

**Until You Were Gone**

**Chapter 2:**

Her tears stopped and she pulled herself away slowly.

"Gomen ne." She whispered, a little scared by the look he was giving her. And then she jumped. Yellow eyes. Two of them, staring back at her. But they weren't Inuyasha's, they were Yuki's.

"Something wrong?" He asked suspiciously.

"You're eyes..... They're golden." She whispered.

"Yeah..... I know it's weird but it's the way I was born." He explained, confused as to why she was SO surprised all of the sudden.

"His eyes were golden." She whispered. "Are you him?"

"Him? You mean Inuyasha? I don't think so....."

"Have you ever met anyone else with golden eyes?" Kagome was completely serious now.

"No, only my older brother."

"You must be him, just like I am Kikyo....." And now that Kagome really looked, she could see the same face shape, same smile that she knew all to well. "Never mind....."

"Wanna go do something to get your mind off him?" Yuki said, getting up and giving Kagome a strong arm.

'Are you giving me a second chance?' Kagome awed at the towering tree above them. 'Did you send him back to me so that I could try again?'

"Sure." She said, smiling for the first time since Inuyasha's clawed hand had intercepted her delicate face.

"Here we are." Yuki said, stopping his moped and helping Kagome off the back.

Gently sloping hills faded into blue, grasses swayed lethargically and tall trees littered the fields. Below, rice paddies dotted the slope.

Mouth open in awe, Kagome jumped over an irrigation ditch onto the grassy rise, followed closely by Yuki. Scrambling up onto a large boulder, Kagome looked down upon the valley. It was unlike anything she had seen in her time. It reminded her of the feudal era exactly. Yuki climbed up next to her and looked down upon the river flowing happily far down in the valley.

"I used to come here when I was a kid. I built forts and stuff like that, I'll show you a few." He offered.

"This is much better then school." Kagome said, smiling.

Surprised by her sudden change in mood, Yuki was entranced by her smile. He realized he had never really seen her smile before today. 'Am I making her smile?' He blushed.

"You're it!" Kagome yelled, tagging him and jumping off the rock lightly. He was caught off guard but recovered quickly and bounded off the rock in close pursuit of her.

Running for dear life, Kagome giggled for all she was worth. Suddenly, Yuki pounced mysteriously like Inuyasha, flattening Kagome to the soft grass.

"You're it." He said, gazing down at her from his position in which his body covered her.

The tall grasses swayed above their heads in anticipation.

"You win, and you get to pick the prize." Kagome whispered.

"I already know what I want." Yuki said.

He leaned down so that his lips were only a centimeter apart, his eyes asking permission. He seemed to find what he wanted and his lips met hers. Her breath came in small gasps, her tongue asking for more.

'Why the hell am I kissing her?' Yuki thought helplessly, 'I only just met her, so why does it still feel right?'

Kagome looked up into the yellow eyes she wanted so much to forget, and yet wanted too much to remember.

"S- sorry." Yuki whispered, his words gently nudging her hair.

He removed himself from his prevalent position on top of Kagome, sitting cross-legged next to her. "So... what's your last name?"

Kagome stifled a laugh and replied. He tasted the name, separate and together until he seemed satisfied. "Yuki Hateyama, at your service." He reached over to shake her hand and took the offer.

"Thanks for the kiss, it helped." Kagome's cheeks were subtlety stained pink.

"You're it!" He prodded her playfully and jogged off. Kagome leaped up and sprinted after him, easily overtaking his purposely-slow speed. He dramatically accepted defeat.

Inuyasha blinked. No. _NO_. There was no way he could go back. _Absolutely_ no way.

Yet he knew he had to.

He had to.

Godammit, Miroku didn't help things at all either. Why did the monk have to be so _logical_?

A few more days.

Torpedoes from the ominous clouds struck the ground in splashes. Soon the rocks turned dark with moisture.

"#, Rain." Yuki cursed and took Kagome's hand and began to sprint towards the nearest tree.

Kagome wiggled out of his grasp and stopped, smiling and tilting her head up to catch the large drops on her face. Her clothing was already soaked.

Yuki watched her from the shelter of the tree and she smirked at him, spinning in circles.

"You're going to catch a cold."

"And you're missing a free shower." Kagome giggled and pulled him out into the storm.

Submitting, he sat atop a lo, flat rock and blinked back raindrops that threatened his vision. He was amused by the spinning and dancing of the seemingly cured girl in front of him.

Not able to dance anymore, Kagome collapsed onto her knees and her smile slowly faded. To think a couple hours ago, her life was unimportant, and here she was living it to it's fullest. She could tell the sky was crying for her. Whether in sadness and happiness she didn't know.

The rain was letting up slightly, worst behind. Yuki got to his feet slowly and led Kagome under the tree again. This time, she didn't pull away.

A few hours aren't much at all, and Yuki knew that. However, that didn't stop him from letting the shivering girl sit in his lap. She could be sobbing for all he knew, the emotion thing never clicked with him. When he really began to sorry was when she suddenly stopped. Just stopped and stared straight ahead as if she was seeing something else, somewhere else.

"He's coming."

Such a statement could puzzle one. First of all, who's coming, second, how did she know?

Inuyasha was the only logical guess for "He," and how the hell Kagome guessed he was coming he didn't know and never would.

"Now?"

"Hai." Kagome shivered and pressed herself against his chest.

"KAGOME?!" His miffed voice was audible for miles, she was sure.

A red figure appeared at their right and upon spotting them, stopped dead.

"What have you done to Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice was an angry growl.

"This is Inuyasha?" Yuki asked Kagome quietly.

Kagome only nodded into him, not daring to turn around.

"Let go of her or you're gonna have a talk with my sword." Inuyasha asserted confidently.

"Only if Kagome wants me to." Yuki pulled both of them up, still maintaining a protective hold on her.

Kagome's head promptly shook her head "no" and Yuki shrugged his shoulders.

"My question for you is;" Yuki paused to ponder his words,

"What have YOU done to Kagome?"

"Goddammit, I only said a couple of words, and I'm here to apologize. And why the fuck should you care, stupid human."

As to why being human would be an insult, Yuki wasn't sure. The intention was what bothered him though.

Kagome turned around to face the eared fear.

"Inuyasha. You knew." She glared. "You knew I loved you. So why the hell are you trying to bring me back after saying something like that to me. What are you thinking inside that marble sized brain of yours?! SURELY there's enough sense in there to know you... you fucked up this time."

Inuyasha promptly slammed into the ground, harder then he ever had due to her angry intent. Yuki still looked on in utter confusion, though never letting go.

"Kagome... I just wanted to apologize... I didn't mean." Inuyasha stumbled over unrehearsed words.

"Inuyasha, I want you to go sit in the branches of the goshimboku and think about what you said to me. I don't want to see you again until you come back knowing why what you said hurt me so much, and made me so empty."

Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore, that other stupid human holding on to her like he was the only thing keeping her here, like she was HIS.

The whole thing annoyed him. Just flat out annoyed him. Something else too though. Something deeper that made his heart sink. Regret for those words. Dread that... that HUMAN could take Kagome from him. The way she trusted that guy made him sick. The way she clung to him and buried her face in his chest. The way she glared at him like he was the enemy or something absurd like that.

So, he decided he'd take her up on her offer– only because he couldn't stand seeing her like this. He knew she'd be different next time he came. He just knew.

And so, without further delay, he bounded off, back towards the shrine and the great god-tree.

Kagome turned to Yuki and bowed in apology and thanks.

"I didn't mean to drag you into this... I'm so sorry..." her mind groped for words, coming up with nothing.

Yuki smiled. "You know I wanted to help."

Leaving Kagome with those words to be pondered, he made the decision to take her home, and so they rode off into the sunset, or as clearly as you can ride into something farther away then any human has ever been.

Hero of Love came into the night

Sick and tired of making things right

Devilish thoughts crept into his head

That night he slithered from bed to bed

Lover's hearts became heavy and dumb

And now confusion's the rule of thumb

And there you have a short concise poem, (Notice each line has 9 beats) foreshadowing the story a bit. I wrote it so you can accredit it to me when you quote it in the literary magazine I know you write for.

-kakite


	3. A Beginning and an End

_Kakite here, just wanted to say a little something before I continue... _

_I started a C2 community called "Tears of Tragedy" (3927) and I'd love it if you join if you and write nicely depressing stories! Thanks._

**Until You Were Gone**

**Chapter 3**

Kagome sighed and sank into her covers. She was actually not feeling all that bad tonight. Happy wasn't something on her list, however.

Though Yuki had improved her mood immensely, and helped her out a lot for having met her only today, he also provided quite a bit for her to be confused about.

Like the kiss.

It was her first one, after all. She always hoped it would be with Inuyasha... before their fight. Now she wasn't sure what to think. Could she give up her whole life in the feudal era so easily? Of course not. What about Shippo, and Sango and Miroku... and Kouga, and even Kirara would be sad upon her disappearing the way she did...

Saturday morning. The sun flew high above and smiled warm rays through Kagome's open window. Branches creaked and leaves shuffled. Far away, a bird walled his happiness through an ancient melody.

Kagome sat up and the first image that popped into her head was yellow eyes. Funny that the cause of this would be that two of them stared her in the face.

"EEEEP." She fell to the floor with a triumphant thump and observed the red-clad disturbance that made himself at home on her bed.

She sighed and leaned against the wall, cross-legged.

"Did you do some thinking?" She asked straight out.

"Hi to you too. Yes, I thought..." He paused, calculating his speech. "I know what I said hurt you, and I just want you to know... Kikyo was killed by Naraku a few days ago." He paused for a reaction.

Kagome kept her face in check- no emotions until he was finished. Reluctantly, Inuyasha continued.

"When it happened... when I found out she was dead... all I could think about was what I would do if that happened to you. If I couldn't protect you one day, and you never came back to me. All I could think about was how I could stop Naraku from killing _you_."

Her head lowered and turned out of view. Confusion gripped her mind like a beast's teeth, penetrating into the darkest chasms.

"Don't lie to me." She whispered, scattering the sun-illuminated dust particles floating about. "Please don't lie." It became more of a plead than an accusation.

Astounded at how little she trusted him, Inuyasha.

"But I saw her body Kagome. I saw that she was dead!"

'If she's dead, why can I still feel the piece missing from my soul. Why I can still feel Kikyo's presence in my mind...' Kagome despaired.

"You know Inuyasha, she will always be there... She's not dead, you just wait." She laughed and cried, unsure of which was more fitting. "Next week there will be rumors about her once again, walking the earth as a vengeful clay spirit."

"Kagome! Why can't you just _accept_ that she's dead and that I care about _you_!" Inuyasha hissed, at the end of his rope.

"Pfft."Kagome was exasperated, itching to explain exactly how wrong he was. "You might have seen that 'dead' corpse of a woman." She raised her fingers in quotes to accentuate the uncertainty of this word 'dead.' "But I have felt her in my soul every moment since the day that witch brought her back to life. I feel the piece of soul she stole from me, and it's still gone. She's still there."

Inuyasha's golden irises bloomed into a state of disbelief. He gawked at the reincarnate that he'd come here intending to bring home.

Kagome finally met his gaze, a solemn rendezvous, her sad, grayed eyes searching deep within him for something that said he wouldn't go back to find the body.

In a horrifying moment of realization, he knew that the battle had been won. That he hadn't done enough thinking. She'd slaughtered his argument, and left him at a loss for words to drown in his lake of doubt.

He raised sorrow to his face and stood, murdered without mention.

"I will be back." He croaked and leapt to the sill, stealing one last glance at the steely penetrators and was gone.

Loneliness is reading the newspaper at busstop x,

The residue left at the bottom of a teacup.

Loneliness is a two-inch tree,

The tip jar's penny.

The busy signal echoing,

The tree that falls to deaf ears

The tears stains on your pillow slip

Vanquished by detergents

The diary you never wrote in

A single-bud vase.

That is Loneliness.


	4. Mutual Maybe

  
_Inuyasha Obsession: Thanks for your positive reviews! I will definitely keep writing if I'm getting reviews like that! _  
  
_If you have any questions, I'll answer them for you at the top of each chapter._

Note: Look for symbolism in this as would in a novel. It's there and it means something, so don't ignore it or you might lose part of the story. Hint- there's a change in mood as we enter this scene.

**Until You Were Gone**  
Chapter 4

Holding an arm to filter the violent morning rays, Yuki gazed up the Higurashi shrine steps. The sun bleached the very ground on which he stood, the reflection was enough to sting his eyes. He shrugged, propped his bike up on its stand, and started up the stone. The gentle wind tore at his hair and disrupted the leaves, a helpless bird wailing remorse far off.

As he approached the house he took it in like a new food, tasting bit by bit until he reached the front door.

Sakura trees creaked over stone pathways. An old man was sweeping on the other side of the grounds. One tree towered over the others; it had to be hundreds of years old. He swore it glared at him, perhaps even breaking out into a sneer. Obviously delirious, he decided to ignore that and he approached the door.

Hesitating for a moment, he knocked next to the shoji.

He heard footsteps inside, getting louder until the screen opened to a smiling, middle-aged woman. After bowing and saying the proper greeting, he asked if Kagome was there. The woman nodded and motioned inside, instructing him to wait while she went to get her.

There was a large painting before him, abstract. He, being interested in art, stepped forward to get a better look at it.

Blue. A lot of blue. That was the first thought that occurred. Some red, and some black. 'Ah, blue.' He thought. 'The color of mystery.'

And so it was. A calming color. Meditation. His eyes snapped open when he remembered the red and black. 'What the hell are the two colors of evil and power doing with such a calming color!'

He laughed at how he was standing in the hall finding symbolism in something that probably had none. Decoration. Yet, the red triangles said something. Fire, fire, fire! Damn, why did he know so much about this!

Coming to his senses, he realized Kagome was in the hall with him now, smiling. He quickly backed up and bowed politely.

"Like it?" She asked, gesturing towards the canvas enigma.

He nodded and awarded it another thoughtful glance, at last noticing enough of the painting to see the signature in the corner.

"You did this?" Said Yuki, turning back to her, impressed.

"Yup." She took a few steps towards him to grant her a view of the portal into her mind. "About a year ago. Before..." She trailed off. He ignored it.

"Cool, I was just looking at it... Do you know a lot about colors and shapes, and like what they mean and stuff?"

"Not really, I just sat down one day with some paints, and this is what came out of it." She puzzled, not sure what he was getting at. "Does it mean something?"

"Hm..."his gaze shifted from the painting to her face. He studied her features, momentarily forgetting one spectrum of confusion for another.

She shifted uncomfortably.

"Well! How rude of me... come in! Make yourself at home!" she exclaimed, scurrying to the kitchen.

Yuki followed her into the house, again pondering the picture.

"Thanks" He uttered at last, mind still deep in thought.

"Tea?" She asked, getting a can of black tea leaves out of the cupboard and gesturing for him to sit.

"Huh? Oh, sure." Yuki scooted out the chair a bit and sat down, watching her fill the pot with water.

"So... What brings you here?" Kagome carefully asked, not wanting to sound too rude.

"I guess I didn't want to wait until school... to see you that is." Said Yuki casually, trying not to sound nervous as he found himself. "So I decided to stop by."

She stopped, turned after a moment to look at him. Thinking of all the things she wanted to tell him but couldn't, of the things she had told him. In her confusion, she walked to the kitchen table.

"I'm glad you're here." She sunk onto a chair across from him and let her forehead rest on the cold, coarse wood of the table. "Because he came back."

It was obvious which 'he' she meant. Head playing tricks on him, he didn't know what to do as he realized she was crying.

'Damn.' He cursed to himself and looked around. 'She's basically a stranger! And yet so not a stranger... (You kissed her remember?)' he commented to himself.

Seeing no one watching, he pulled her into his arms and let her sob into his jacket.

"Thank you so... so much." She squeaked, sniffling a little.

The tears were gone as she sat up. Those eyes. He looked into those eyes and he knew she wasn't going to tell him, she didn't need to.

"Lets go get something to eat." He suggested, sensing that she needed a change of scenery, maybe to get her mind off things.

He took her hand and guided her out into the late morning sunshine, beating down like rain.

The pot of tea was left abandoned on the stove, boiling vigorously until a puzzled Ms. Higurashi had a thought to turn it off. What she'd just witnessed was something that confused her very much.

But, being the scheming mother that she was, combined with her desire for dog-ear adorned grandchildren, she stepped outside.

"INUYASHA!" She yelled, loud enough to send the birds in a nearby tree fluttering off, all too eager to get away from a mother and her plan.

End of Chapter

Thanks all for reading. Please review, I gotta see where I am as far as your standards go, Notice the chapters are getting shorter!

I Need motivation, BADLY.

Some motivation in everything would be nice really, but I'm just asking for a few pensive words, some ponderous rambling, constructive praise... It could use it.

Anyway, next chapter you get to find out

Just what Kagome's mom is planning (& will it work?)

What's going to happen on Kagome and Yuki's trip together.

And of course, you're asking "What's up with this Yuki kid and what's he planning with Kagome?!" Well, you'll just have to find out! (Or you can put you're baseball bats and pitchforks down and I'll type like the grim reaper's at my tail.

kakite


	5. Believe, in What?

_I begin this chapter with a philosophical piece._  
**Until You Were Gone**

Chapter 5

_Nothing but darkness, delusion and suffering._

_And yet it is light._

_For, in a dark world, the dark is light._

"INUYASHA!" She yelled, loud enough to send the birds in a nearby tree fluttering off, all too eager to get away from a mother and her plan.

The grass whispered impatiently, tasting the sure success.

And finally...

There he came. Moping towards her like a forgotten puppy, cute little ears and all. She grinned, and he gave her a blank look. He stood before her now, all six feet of son in law material, she hugged herself. A forlorn and expectant look broke her excitement, she motioned inside, he complied.

She sat him down at the kitchen table and set to work making ramen, content to begin the conversation whenever it felt best.

As Inuyasha slurped slowly and quietly at what would have previously been scarfed food, she began her proposal.

"You love my daughter." She stated, not as a question, just to put it out on the table in hopes he'd take a look at it. "She loves you."

Inuyasha cringed and shook his head as if to rid it of an impending thought. He placed his chopsticks on his half finished bowl and gave the well-meaning woman a well-meaning look.

"Look Higurashi-sama. What I said to Kagome... "He closed his eyes and lowered his head, untangling the string of words he was trying to but before her.

"Cannot be taken back, I know." She said. "But if she really loves you (which I can guarantee you she does by the state she was in when she came back here) she'll find it in her heart to forgive you."

"...she needs to find it soon...because I _need_ her." He raised two glistening eyes to gaze across the table.

"Well, before anything is found, we need to take care of that other boy she seems to be caught up with." She looked back on the scene she had witnessed only 20 minutes before. "I know she loves you, and so we need to help her make the right decision."

"Higurashi-san?"

"Mm?"

"Thank you... for believing in our love."

Kagome wrapped her arms around her newfound friend as they boarded the scooter. Or was he more? She shook the thought off. Fun. She was here to have fun and not reassess her friendships.

She carefully opened her eyes to the driving wind as they wove through traffic. Everyone and their dog were out shopping today it seemed, cars honked at negligent pedestrians and pedestrians squawked at negligent drivers. Somehow they managed to pull up to a small Thai restaurant. 'Thai?' Kagome thought. Unusual for Japan. She couldn't ever recall having food from Thailand... but it sounded like an adventure.

Inside it was dim and smelled of incense. A yellow glow was emitted from lanterns that hung from the ceiling. Everything that could be was adorned in gold. A great bronze elephant statue stared at her from the corner.

A tiny, wizened man, who had a foreign look about him, smiled from Yuki to Kagome and gave Yuki a wink. She blushed as he fished some menus out of a holder with fragile looking hands.

"Right this way." He turned and began through the narrow restaurant, heading towards the back. Dramatically, he pulled a curtain inside to show them a small booth with two large fluffy looking pillows and a low table. The floor was traditional tatami, but that was the only thing familiar about this voyage of a room.

The walls were painted with dancers, all wearing peculiar golden vase-looking hats. There was great purple velvet draperies that seemed to suck all sound right into their dense depths.

Kagome nearly tripped over her pillow as she gazed at the décor.

The table, rather then being square, was long and rectangular. Pillows situated so that the diners were next to, rather then across from each other.

Yuki sat cross legged and motioned for Kagome to do the same.

"That man is my grandfather." Yuki explained. "He came to Japan from Thailand many years ago and never left. "

That explained why Yuki seemed a bit different then most Japanese people in appearance, and it also could explain his eye color, or so Kagome hoped.

'N- NANI' Kagome squinted at the indecipherable katakana.

"Pado tai?"She tasted the word.

"Phad Thai." Yuki said expertly. "It's got rice noodles... It's pretty popular."

"I'll let you choose, seeing as you seem to know what this stuff is." Kagome nudged the menu away.

"It's a deal."

"So you're Thai eh?" Kagome said as Yuki put down the menu decisively.

"Partly. I think the reason that my grandfather never left Japan is that he met my grandmother, who was a descendent of a pretty wealthy family that traces back to the feudal era. They met and apparently nothing could come between them and getting married. (Except maybe the language barrier, but they managed.)" he added in an aside.

"Cool! I'm just plain ol' Japanese. Not much else to it really."

"Well, you live in a shrine, that much mean you've got some influential ancestors."

Kagome blushed, looking back at the time Hojo had found her name on his family tree, thinking it was just a coincidence.

Just then an old Japanese woman peeked her head into the curtain and smiled. She took another step forward and bowed.

"Yuki stood."

"Obaasan, this is Kagome Higurashi, Kagome, this is my obaasan." Kagome stood up and bowed, catching the woman's suggestive smile as she did so.

"Have you decided?" She asked

"Hai. My favorite please, and two of those ice things." Yuki said and then bowed.

They both sat back down.

"You know, now that I think about it, it seems like my grandmother's great great great grandmother, or something crazy like that, was named Kagome." He scratched his chin pensively.

"You're kidding." Kagome's heart nearly did a handstand as it skipped several beats.

"Nope."

'That means... wait but then... AHH THE PARADOXES!' Her mind screamed, one thought seeming to be louder. 'That means you must have married someone from the feudal era... someone meaning Inuyasha... and there was... CHILDREN.'

Yuki gave her a funny look, realizing how much distress this comment put her into. "It's just a coincidence, you think we're related or something?" He laughed.

"You wouldn't believe me if I tried to explain." Kagome stated simply.

'This _is_ Inuyasha... well Inuyasha's... great great WHATEVER.' She tried to stop the next thought 'And yours too.'

"Yuki, do you believe in fate?" Kagome asked carefully after a great debate with herself.

"Sometimes, why?

"O nothing. So tell me where did you live before you moved here?"

Reluctantly, he went with the change of subject, sensing even more now that there was something major he was missing out on.

Sango and Miroku whispered by the dieing fire while Shippo and Kirara slept in the corner.

"What do you think is going on with them?" Sango asked.

"I wonder if they eloped and were too shy to tell us..." That one earned a elbow jab from the impatient taijya.

"I'm serious Miroku, what if there's something really wrong. What if Kagome never comes back!" She fretted hopelessly.

Miroku embraced her and kissed the top of her head lightly.

"All we can do right now is believe in their love, Sango." He whispered into her heavenly hair. "Love can do some wonderful things in addition to the pain it causes, sometimes we just need to remember that."

Sango's tried to even her breathing, but tears came to her eyes and she squeezed handfuls of purple.

_If someone just believed. _They do_. Then maybe after all this drama. _Make it so_. We can make it work somehow. _O how nice it would be

End Chapter 5

Thanks for reading, I hope you can find it in your heart to review.

Also, writing this fic has indeed brought it to my attention that sometimes, all someone need is for you to believe, and sometimes that's all you can do. So don't be tainted by jealousy or greed, and give them what they need.

kakite


	6. Yin Yang?

Until You Were Gone

Chapter 6

Kagome chomped on the tasty rice noodles, nearly missing taste for pondering. Her mind wandered circuitously, not able to come to any feasible conclusion about anything through the inner turmoil.

The atmosphere was quiet and awkward, and Yuki found his attempts at conversation ended before they began. After a while, he gave up, choosing instead to sip his ice drink in peace. It was the fourth or fifth worried look that she finally gave in to, climbing out of her reverie into a world that was reality.

"Sorry, sorry... I'm not being very sociable. Just a tad tired." She insisted.

"Kagome, are you sure you're ok after this morning?"

'Of course... he still thinks it's that.'

"Yeah... Just doing some thinking about it." Held the girl who was apparently the great great great great great grandmother of the boy sitting in front of her. She looked at him closer and smiled.

"K, just checking..."

Silence. Clink of silverware.

"Yuki?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks... That was really good... but I think I need to go home." And she looked it too; eyes staring at nothing as she spoke, voice monotonous and uninvolved.

He tipped his head in accord, pushing himself up before taking her hand.

The silent ride to the Higurashi steps ended as Yuki slowed to a stop. They both swung their legs off of the hip transporter and removed their helmets.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Yuki took Kagome's hand and bent slightly to look into her confused eyes.

She looked at her hand in his, and her eyes got darker. The smiling was gone.

A hand tugged at hers and she realized that Yuki was going to walk her home. 'Home.' Echo. Is it right? Maybe.

Her feet moved with his, on their own accord, mind kicking into autopilot.

Right? Wrong.

Happy? Sad.

White? Black.

Good? Bad.

They were at the top of the stairs now; Kagome's feet stumbled as they ended. She looked up into the concerned eyes, concerned _yellow_ eyes. Something... her breath was short.

Those eyes were in conflict. She knew that look. The look of longing, of confusion.

Features were painted with primary colors. She knew them, she knew them like black and white, because they were her own. Or were they?

Her mind retreated again.

She felt lips on hers and the yellows was gone. His eyes were closed.

When she didn't return the kiss, he pulled away.

"Kagome... I..." He stuttered. "I thought..."

The words didn't come. It was a TV show, one of those soap operas she always skipped through. Her head turned to look for the female character, who would be in tears by now. No one was there.

Her eyes went back, back to the yellow. They were staring at her, telling her... no, she didn't want to know, didn't want to look, didn't want to listen to what they were saying.

Wrong. Right?

Why wasn't he stopping, where was the lover saying 'wait, I love you, come back to me!'

Gone. A rumble and then silence, and empty stomach of audible potential, and yet no food to feed it.

Sad. Happy?

A shade had been put over Kagome's mind like a lampshade on a light. There was nothing blinding her, but she couldn't see. That last bit of detail, the fine print she couldn't make out. The part where it says the details that they want you to miss, but are the most important.

Her body crumpled like tissue paper there on the top step of her family's shrine.

Black. White?

She shaded her eyes from the white surrounding her. The peaceful and yet burning light. Someone handed her an oiled paper umbrella. White. She took it, stood up, and looked.

Birds fluttered, beautiful birds with many feathers. Birds she wanted to stroke. White birds. They told her she couldn't come play with them, she needed to go somewhere else first.

She heard something behind her and turned. Black. The umbrella burst into flames and became a torch, she advanced into the darkness.

------

Inuyasha sat at the low table across from Kagome's mother.

"Inuyasha, she needs to know that you love her. She need you to show her! Do something you've never done before. Something... something she knows you would only do if you really loved her." Kagome's mother's eyes sparkled thinking of the romantic implications.

His attention was mostly outside with the shifting winds, then he saw them coming back. Kagome's scent drifted to his nose and he took it in desperately.

They stopped at the top of the stairs. They looked at each other. Just stood there for a good minute... and then he kissed her. He kissed _his_ Kagome, Inuyasha growled a deep and possessive growl.

Kagome looked around innocently like she didn't know where she was. Like she was looking for something that wasn't there.

Then he left. The bastard left. Kagome was all alone, she stood very still, like a statue that needs to be looked at.

Inuyasha stood up, by now Kagome's mother had also seen them, and seen Yuki leave.

They both watched as Kagome collapsed onto the stone. Inuyasha was out the door before she hit the ground.

He was at her side now, now that she needed him. Where was she when he needed her? _Lost._ I think something was found. _What was found?_ Want? Need? Desire?

Not desire. Desire is a device. The only limit to desire is desire itself. Better not to have your desires. Better not to have anything desirable?

Want? 'What is this feeling?' Inuyasha massaged his chest as he held Kagome's hand lightly. She was in bed now. 'It hurts. Why?'

Need.

-------

Kagome edged further into Black. It beckoned her, comforted her. The torch disappeared; she disappeared.

Bad. Good?

She felt warm. Amidst all this darkness, there was a warmth inside her chest. A joy that could not be matched. She smiled to Black, it didn't see her. She _was_ here right?

"Ouch." The sound echoed and then was swallowed by the hungry dark.

"Yup, I'm here" _here here here_, Black chanted.

"Where?"

"Over here." It answered her. Of course, she didn't know where 'over here' was.

Over here was over there, was everywhere! The only sure directions; up and down.

Black chuckled, Black chanted the chuckle.

_Lost?_

"Yes." Kagome smiled her invisible smile again.

_Where do you want to go?_

"I don't know... Where and I supposed to go?" Her invisible smile disappeared.

_Where do you want to go?_

"You already asked that."

_Want and obligation are two very different things._

------

End of Chapter 6.

I sense an ending coming up here soon. Tell me what you thought of my slightly more abstract writing style here. I kind of broke out of ffn conventions, kinda like a test drive, also just cuz I'm in a weird mood and I needed to write.

Hopefully all this isn't too much to process, please do send word as to what your thoughts were.

I ALWAYS respond to long reviews.

kakite


	7. Go Home: that simple?

_I'll try to make this not as confusing as chapter 6. More explaining... perhaps you will get it! Any questions that aren't answered in this chapter please feel free to ask and I will respond._

**Until You Were Gone **

Chapter 7

---

_Want and obligation are two very different things._

---

Inuyasha 's heart stank with need, it consumed him.

Need.

The room was heavy with pondering. Air thick with sighs never heaved, floor flooded with the tears yet to be shed.

His shadow swayed upon the bed and he watched it, covering his love like a small blanket of darkness.

Kagome's mother watched in obvious anguish, awaiting the moment when her daughter would wake up, and she would make a decision.

The moments wore on, Inuyasha's shoulders crept down. His ears fell.

Everything was spinning, falling, darkening. Time grew slow, flies buzzed lazily outside the window. Sound waves grew long, things turned blue and green.

The world grew lazy, careless.

---

Black was annoying. Black was irrational. Black was miffing.

Black was _right_.

Kagome sat her non-existent self on ground that wasn't there and smiled a smile no one would ever see. She thought.

What did she want? She wanted to get out of Black... That was a start.

What would she do once she was out of Black? Was there something she needed to remember. No. Was there something she wanted to remember?

_Yes._

Inuyasha. The gentle Inuyasha that didn't hit her, and didn't call her names. The one that said he loved her and she wasn't really all the stupid after all.

But wasn't that the one she remembered?

That was the one that was trying to apologize when she left. She remembered now. That one. That was the one she loved.

So what then, was this imprisoning "want" that Black forced her to ponder?

_Where do you want to go?_ Black chanted inevitably, mechanically.

"I want to go HOME." She screamed and her voice was swallowed by the void and shot back at her in a quaking echo.

_Home. Where is Home?_ It advocated.

"Home isn't here."

_Where is Home?_ It echoed.

"Home is back with my family." Home was a hard thing to fathom in a space where even she didn't exist. "Home is where I live, where I sleep. Home is where I feel at home."

_But where?_

It finally dawned on Kagome why Black was keeping her here. This is what she had to figure out. Was the modern day era really her home, or was it the feudal era?

_Took you long enough._ The non-existent sneer miffed her.

"How am I supposed to make a decision like that?" She sighed and leaned forward to rest her head that wasn't there on palms that no one could see.

You remembered him. The real him isn't the reason you left, he's the reason you need to go back.

"Inuyasha... it's gotta be him. That's what I want, that's where I want to go." Kagome breathed.

_So be it._

Kagome started, wanting to speak more, wanting to say that she wasn't finished thinking. Already things climbed back into being. The ground was grey at first, brighter and brighter. Her hands appeared in front of her, fists clenched.

Black was gone.

It was time.

---

Kagome's breathing faltered, Inuyasha nearly fell off of his chair. Her hand tried to move, but was being held for dear life be the hanyou at her bedside. She tried the other hand and brought it up to rub her eyes successfully.

Inuyasha sucked a breath in and let it out tensely. Another.

Her eyes opened and looked at the ceiling a moment. Suddenly they focused on him. Her heartbeat quickened.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered, trying to verify the warmth of her hand and the look in her eyes.

Silence. Doors opening, things going in and out.

"I want to go home." She said simply.

"You're at home." assured Inuyasha nervously.

"No, I'm not." Kagome demanded. "Unless the feudal era suddenly advanced to drywall. I can assure you..."

Cutting her off, Inuyasha enveloped her in an immense, canine-like, hug.

"I love you Kagome... Hell... I need you." He whispered with necessity, with passion that burned his heart in two.

"That's you! That's the one I remembered... That's the one I love. _You're_ the one I love." Kagome whispered into his ear. "Never let me forget that, ever."

"Anything. Just don't leave me like that again." Inuyasha looked into her eyes to ensure a yes. "Lets go home."

He picked her up in his arms, blanket and all and was out of the door, pillows in tow.

---

_Should I end it here? Good question. Alas, what is there to write? Share your thoughts._

_Such a short chapter, but I felt that's all that was needed._

_To continue the never-ending and ultimately fruitless plead: _

**Find it in your hearts to speak the thoughts that bounce around in your brilliant minds. **

**Motivate your fingers! Type! **

**Write me a poem. Tell me a story. Ask me a math question. **

**Alas, Woe! Make something of our time together.**

**Nihil ex nihilo. That is not what we want to attain.**

inspired by my reading of Grendel, the Teachings of Buddha, and Siddhartha all at once...

kakite


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